This invention relates generally to detecting anomalous data. More particularly, this invention relates to removing anomalous data within initialization data collected from a device, and using the remaining data to establish baseline operating conditions for the device.
Assessing the health of a device often includes a comparison of data collected from the device to a baseline operating condition of the device. Substantial differences between the collected data and the baseline operating condition of the device may identify performance issues, needed repairs, needed inspections, etc. For example, substantial differences between a temperature measurement collected from a component of the device and the component's baseline temperature measurement may prompt a technician to inspect that component.
The baseline operating conditions generally represent normal operating conditions of the device. The baseline operating conditions are typically established during an initialization process for the device. As can be appreciated, incorrectly established baseline operating conditions can disadvantageously result in unreliable comparisons between the collected data and the baseline operating condition.
In one example, the device is a gas turbine engine. Rotor speeds, temperatures, pressures, fuel flows, etc. are all measured during the engine's initialization process, which corresponds to the engine's first thirty days of use, for example. The data collected during this time is assembled into a set of initialization data, and used to establish the engine's baseline operating conditions. Anomalies in the data, such as bimodal, trend, or outliers, can influence the established baseline measurement.